6 Foods That Ease Chronic Pain

Have a sore back, stiff neck, or deal with chronic pain issues? Make sure your diet includes these foods

When you're dealing with chronic pain, it can be tempting to reach for anything that will make you feel better. And by anything, we mean drugs. Strong ones.

While non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and prescription pain meds have their place in a chronic pain treatment plan, they're not the only solution. In fact, you'll give those pain pills a better shot at working most effectively if you take a look at your diet.

"You can actually find a lot of relief by adding specific foods to your diet that are proven to ease pain," says Ashley Koff, RD, Los Angeles-based celebrity dietitian and author of "Mom Energy." But just as important as what you add to your diet is what you might need to stop eating, says Alison Massey, MS, RD, LDN, a dietitian at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. "Diets high in refined starches, sugars, saturated fats, and trans fats turn on the inflammatory response in the body, which makes pain worse," she says.

So while comfort foods packed with these ingredients may be just what you're craving when your pain gets intense, try to remember that those bad-for-you foods are only going to make you feel worse. Your new go-to eating plan: Load up on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and these nine foods proven to ease chronic pain.

Coconut water is very overrated. It is loaded with sugar (in packaged form), and is no cure-all for dehydration. This is because your hydration levels are a balance of water, salt, and sugar levels that all need to be equal levels. Long science short, stick to regular water and eat some fruit.

I have Fibromyalgia and I can tell you that the only thing that does work is Zico Coconut Water (the dark chocolate one is AMAZING and makes you feel better quickly if you're suffering from heat exhaustion, among other things.). If you have migraines, grab one within an hour or so of the pain hitting you. Ginger only ever helps me with nausea, there are times I live on ginger ale, gingersnaps, and ginger tea. I've been eating cherries even when they're not in season locally for years and they don't work. It would be great to find a cherry supplement to see if maybe that helps. I eat a ton of fruit, none of it seems to make a difference.